📸 Katie & Tyler’s Engagement Session

A Southside Stroll Through Love and Laughter

I. THE PIEROGI & THE MIDWESTERN GENTLEMAN

Where Pittsburgh charm meets Midwest calm.

Katie and Tyler are a match that’s as delightful as the first bite of a Primanti sandwich after a Pirates win. When I met them for their engagement photo session, I didn’t just meet a couple—I met two souls perfectly in sync, who bring out the quietest joys in one another.

Katie, who wears many hats—educator by day, Pittsburgh Pierogi mascot by game night—has the energy of someone who can light up any room (or ballpark). She’s the kind of person who greets you with both a warm smile and a hilarious story. Tyler, on the other hand, brings a steady calm to her fire. Hailing from the Midwest, he’s polite, grounded, and the perfect balance to Katie’s spark.

The two met in Pittsburgh, where their personalities quickly clicked. From the start, there was a comfort between them that made even the smallest moments—like their first stroll or their Netflix queue—feel cinematic. On this evening, as the sun dipped behind the buildings, I had the joy of capturing that magic.

II. A CITY WALK, A STORY UNFOLDING

Engagement photography in Pittsburgh at its most personal.

Downtown Pittsburgh was our canvas that evening. We wandered through open plazas, dipped into corners with string lights twinkling overhead, and paused at the edge of bridges where the city hums in the distance. Katie twirled, Tyler grinned, and I just followed with my camera, documenting a rhythm that felt entirely their own.

We talked between frames—about their favorite series (they’ve been rewatching Stranger Things), their first date (nachos were involved, obviously), and their upcoming wedding in Pittsburgh’s Southside this summer. These weren’t just engagement photos; they were memory snapshots—little windows into who they are right now, just before their next chapter begins.

The way Katie made Tyler laugh with a single look, or the way he instinctively pulled her hand closer whenever we crossed streets, said everything. These are the candid engagement photos I live for—the unposed, honest, beautiful moments that speak louder than staged smiles ever could.

III. GOLDEN LIGHT, GENUINE MOMENTS

The best engagement photos happen when you just walk and talk.

The golden hour hit just right. Light poured over buildings and bounced gently off Katie’s curls. We found a quiet patch where the city seemed to slow down, and I asked them to just walk and talk like they would on any given evening.

Tyler told Katie a story, and she laughed—head tilted back, joy overflowing. That laugh? I’d bet it’s the same one he fell in love with. I snapped away, letting them forget the camera was even there.

From a photographer’s perspective, these moments are what make Pittsburgh engagement photography special. You’re not just shooting a couple—you’re photographing a connection. The little gestures, the glances, the inside jokes—they all come through when the pressure's off and you’re just capturing real love in real time.

We wrapped up just as the sky turned that deep velvet blue, the kind that makes the city lights sparkle and everything feel cinematic. I told them I couldn’t wait for their summer wedding. And I meant every word.

IV. THE COUNTDOWN TO “I DO”

See you this summer, Southside.

Katie and Tyler are tying the knot this summer in Pittsburgh’s Southside, and I already know it’s going to be one of the highlights of my season. Their energy, their laughter, their easy connection—it’s the kind of love that translates so beautifully through the lens and even more powerfully in person.

As a Pittsburgh wedding photographer, you dream of couples like this—who let you in, who trust you to tell their story, and who make you laugh in between takes. From their playful engagement photo session to the promises they’ll soon exchange, Katie and Tyler’s journey is just beginning. And I’m honored to be along for the ride.

So here’s to mascots and Midwesterners. To Netflix queues and nacho dates. To walks through Pittsburgh and weddings in the Southside.

Katie and Tyler, I’ll see you at the altar—camera in hand, heart wide open.

-Sean